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Monday, February 4, 2013

Medicine Is A Racket

Here in Saskatchewan, belief in doctors is very strong. This has been cultivated for over half a century by the government which is currently making "historic investments in healthcare"* and by doctors themselves. Saskatchewan was the birthplace of "Canadian Medicare" in 1961. They are so proud of "universal healthcare". People endow doctors with magical powers. People believe doctors perform miracles. Some doctors do good work, sometimes, but other doctors are hacks and quacks. There is no way to tell good doctors from bad doctors. Doctors spend ten or twelve minutes with a patient, talk wise, tell a joke, write a prescription, send a bill to the government and — most importantly — tell the patient to make another appointment in a couple of weeks when the patient will be sicker after taking the prescription he was given at the last visit. While his previous complaints may have improved, he will have new symptoms. At that time, some tests can be requisitioned and referrals to specialists can be made. X-rays are always useful. Pretty soon the patient may be very ill. He will be taking several pharmaceutical drugs, each with its own "side effects". Doctors diagnose everything about a patient's condition almost instantly. Doctors seem to read minds. Doctors seem to have X-ray vision, like Superman. This skill is practiced by fortune tellers, psychiatrists, confidence men and other swindlers. Medicine is a racket.

* Pouring money down a rathole only keeps the rats happy. It solves nothing while making everything worse.

2 comments:

My daughter said at the book launch of "Without Due Care" "Its hard not to be angry with the good doctors who cover up for the bad ones", meaning that they enable the bad doctors to continue and apart from a brave one or two there are no good ones

I agree. The Doctrine of Accessories condemns those who are accessories to crimes. Good doctors can redeem themselves by stepping forward to denounce bad doctors. They would reclaim their brand while improving medicine. This must happen, until it does medicine deserves to be blackened and discredited.